Avalanche forecast

West Slopes Central

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Increasing clouds and decreasing sun will lower - but not eliminate - the likelihood of seeing a large natural avalanche. Hanging out under snowy cliffs, glide cracks, and cornices will increase the chance of getting run over by a wet and ugly one. Avalanche danger will be greatest at mid-elevations. 

Avalanche problems

  • Glide Cracks

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1–2

    Middle elevations are the place to have your wet avalanche finder tuned to “detect”, or maybe "avoid". It will still be above freezing, the snow should still be wet, and water will keep running through or below the snowpack for another day. 

    Upper elevations should see wet snow lock up the soonest with a shorter path to below-freezing temperatures. Low elevations have mostly well-consolidated snow or are just plain melted out after three-plus days of very warm weather. Don't rule out terrain right at or just below the low-mid elevation boundary.

    These are not really avalanches you will trigger but ones that happen whether you are in the way or not. The likelihood of seeing one is low, but the consequences are not. Pick a line through the mountains that avoids travel below drooping cornices, glide cracks, or other sketchy-looking, snow-covered terrain features. 

    (3/1/2025)

    This very large natural avalanche occurred Saturday afternoon on a southeast aspect at 4900'.

    (WS-N-D3-G)

    Photo: NWAC Public Obs

Avalanche Discussion

While the amount of avalanche activity varied across the different areas of the North and Central Cascades the last two days, there was no lack of wet avalanches out there. Numerous wet loose up to D2 were observed across the Cascades at all elevations. Most were on southerly aspects, but a not insignificant amount were noted on shaded aspects as well. 

Aside from a very large wind slab and icefall avalanche near Mt. Baker, the largest reported was a glide avalanche in West North. It released on Saturday afternoon during the peak of warming.

It’s been interesting to see how no single observation was able to summarize the variability and extent of avalanche activity at forecast zone scale. Some folks in alpine terrain reported wind and mostly frozen snow on Friday, while widespread wet loose activity was noted at slightly lower elevations. On Saturday, observers in some areas felt the wet danger had mostly played out, with only a few new wet avalanches observed, but two ridges away was the destructive glide avalanche listed above.  A team in the heart of North Cascade National Park on Friday reported cloud cover and legit greenhousing conditions, while locations farther west experienced mostly clear skies.

Wind can keep the snow surface cooler near ridgeline, but it can be roasting lower on the slope, or suddenly back off. Clouds can inhibit the sun and decrease warming - or create nasty greenhouse conditions that bring warmth to all aspects. The take-home point is that we each need to tune into local conditions to gauge the actual avalanche danger around us and change course as necessary.

Regions covered